Exposed
by Monstra Steele Grey
Summary: Anastasia Steele gets the dread of a lifetime when she's hired to do a piece on Seattle's most mysterious resident; CEO, Christian Grey. Will she lose her mind or will love be in her wake, and will Christian be different than she could have ever expected? Plus, what will happen when foes try to tear apart everything they're fighting for?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

 **"** **Wow. Why am I not surprised** by his latest achievement?", I groan to myself as I read through the morning paper. Christian Grey, the biggest egomaniac I have ever known, has just accomplished yet another project guaranteed to better Seattle. I look at his face and he has a I'm-the-best-person-ever smile planted on it and I'm half-tempted to tear the fucking page out of the paper.

He's always like this. Bigoted, full of himself and believing that he is the world's greatest gift to humanity. He always uses his pedestal to make himself look better and every time I hear about him, it's never anything praise-worthy or kindhearted and honestly, I'm not surprised. He's the most pompous jerk I've ever come across. Granted, I've never met him but who would ever want to? I doubt even his parents are proud of who he's become.

Meeting him would be the death of my career, as if it was really going anywhere to begin with.

Just as I'm trying to find any article that does not involve Christian Grey, my roommate, Kate, opens the door and tears away my wandering thoughts. She just went for a jog and I'm wondering why I didn't go with her. I could've used the distraction.

"Hey Kate. How was your run?", I ask casually as I close the paper and go to fetch her a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Fine. I jogged to The Sound and stopped at the diner on my way back", she huffs as she graciously accepts the bottle. Kate always tries to push herself and I'm starting to think it's because of her latest break-up from last week. Elliot Grey; Christian Grey's brother. He caused hell for them and I can tell Kate is still pretty pissed about it, as well as heartbroken. He's been trying to contact her but she can't bring herself to answer. I feel sorry for her.

"Kate, you have to stop this. It's not like it was Elliot's fault", I answer as I help her out of her sweatshirt.

"Maybe. I just feel sorry that he's related to Christian."

"You and me both. Has Mia messaged you about the job offer?"

"Not yet but it looks promising. Finally, we can get some real money around here."

"Yeah, especially if I can get a new job soon as well."

"Amen to that." Me and Kate started falling on hard times and I had recently gotten, um, a job that was supposed to help us but there hasn't been any assignments that I've been interested in lately. Christian's sister, Mia, promised her something but it's been almost a week since we've heard from her. If only Christian could be like his siblings. Maybe then he could earn some respect.

"Has Hannah contacted you with any offers over the past few days? Anything you might be interested in?", Kate asks me as she gulps the last of her water, obviously inviting the liquid to her throat.

"Nothing's caught my attention. I know she's trying but she knows me better than that. I like the interesting cases."

"Have you ever thought about doing something smaller?"

"No way. The bigger ones are better anyway."

"I know but…", she starts but just then my phone rings and I have to put her on hold. I check the caller ID and it's my boss, Hannah Hagen.

"Sorry", I say to Kate and answer the call. "Hey Hannah."

"Ana, hi. Listen, I think I might have something for you. Can you be at the office n twenty minutes?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm on my way", I say as I hang up and grab my car keys on the counter.

"Don't tell me..", Kate begins and I can tell she sounds excited.

"Fingers crossed. I'll see you later?"

"Sure. Good luck."

"Heh, thanks", I respond and head out the door. As usual, my beloved Wanda is waiting for me and I am so glad that José was able to fix her. I trust her but sometimes she acts up and that worries him and Kate. They should know I can take care of myself but I wouldn't want it any other way. Popping in a CD for the road, I pull out and head to the office. I hope this is worth it, for both our sakes.


	2. Chapter One

**The traffic is hell** but I finally make it to work. There's a dozen paparazzi outside and I'm almost dreading to go in. Reaching in my glove box for a cap and sunglasses, I tie my hair in a ponytail and set the sunglasses over my eyes. Taking a deep breath, I exit Wanda and head for the door.

"Miss! Are you aware that Seattle Publishing is embezzling funds by the CEO, Hannah Hagen?", one paparazzo addresses me but I ignore his question.

"Ma'am, what do you make of Christian Grey keeping apart his brother and latest girlfriend?", another paparazzi asks but I ignore her as well. God, give me a break.

"Well, well. If it isn't Seattle's most prestigious camera girl", someone says behind me and stops me in my tracks. I turn around and my mouth drops. Standing in front of me is Jack Hyde, the only man in Seattle keen on ruining my career. Thanks to him, I've almost lost it and he couldn't be prouder of his accomplishments. It's not surprising that he would be here right now. He is the last person I want to see.

"Jack, I figured you would be here", I respond with a fake smile.

"Better than wallowing at home because someone didn't enjoy my article", he responds back with a wicked grin and gleam in his eyes.

"I'm sure you know that I'm the only one who can get a damn piece around here because I can actually get my facts straight."

"At what cost?"

"Cost? You're just mad because I have a promising career."

"Ha! Career? You run your mouth and take a few photos and somehow that qualifies as a job? I guess ruining people's lives is on your agenda; am I correct?"

"I could say the same thing about you."

"Yeah, well, nobody ever got far from being a sleazy, arrogant piece of trash only interested in her paycheck than anyone's feelings."

"Hmm, ironic", I respond in a snarky manner but before I can get inside, Jack blocks my entrance.

"Jack, leave", I say in a forceful tone. He doesn't budge and the flashing lights are taking away my vision. What's his problem today of all things?

"Why should I?"

"Because unlike you, I have work to do."

"Oh please, you've never worked a day in your life."

"Your dad thought I worked hard enough. Guess he was right" I joke under my breath and make my way to the door. Jack lunges at me but before he can touch me, I punch him in the nose and cause him to fall flat on his back as the blood continues to drain. The people go crazy but I'm too triumphant to even care.

"Bitch! Don't think I won't forget this", Jack says as he starts to help himself up and make his way past the crowd.

"Don't think I don't know that", I whisper and close the door behind me. I cautiously slide my sunglasses down and make my way for the reception desk. Erika, one of my friends, grins when she sees me approaching. She's much older than me but it's hard not to enjoy her company. I think she gets me.

"Hi Ana. The press slow you down?", she asks.

"As usual. Irony huh?"

"Sure feels that way. At least they get a taste of their own medicine. Hey, is Hannah in her office? She asked to see me."

"I think so. She's just finishing up a meeting."

"Good. Thanks Erika."

"Take it easy Ana!", she calls out to me as I find the elevator and head to the twentieth floor. As I walk towards Hannah's office, I notice she seems a little upset about something. Is it me?

"Here to see Hannah?", I hear a woman ask and I turn around to see Hannah's assistant, Courtney. She's only been here a few months but at least she gets the job done and on time. Maybe she'll make it for the year. I hope so.

"Yeah. Can you let her know please? It's kind of important."

"Sure", Courtney replies and I forget that I'm still wearing my cap so I take it off and put it in my jacket. Hopefully I won't need it later.

"You can come in Miss Steele. Miss Hagen's ready for you", Courtney announces as the board members from the meeting exit the room.

"Thanks but call me Ana. We're all friends here you know."

"Force of habit. At least I didn't call you 'ma'am'", Courtney jokes and I laugh along as well. As soon as everyone has departed, Hannah motions for me to come in and I comply.

"Hey Ana. How's it going?", Hannah asks as she takes a seat and I follow her example as I sit across from her desk.

"Fine but what's going on? Is the job that bad?"

"It's about Christian Grey", she says to the point and I roll my eyes in response.

"What about him?"

"Well, as you know he is Seattle's most prestigious…"

"Ha, 'prestigious'? Please", I interrupt.

"Okay, mostly obscure but either way, he has high connections to some of the biggest companies here, including SP, and without him we would be out of business."

"Your point?"

"The point is that some rumors have been floating around that his company, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc., has been embezzling and leaving frauds with other companies to fund his own pedestal in the public eye."

"I just had a paparazzo ask about that with you."

"Well, they got their facts wrong; it's Christian Grey."

"Oh my God. I knew he couldn't have done this on his own. He's not even thirty yet."

"Exactly, so, I need you to keep a close eye on him and find out if the rumors are true. If so, we can expose him and tear apart his reputation."

"Whoa, whoa, wait. You want _me_ to do a story on _him_? You're crazy."

"Ana, you're the best I got and I can't trust anyone else with this lead."

"Lead? It hasn't even been proven yet."

"I know but everyone is almost certain that he is. Graham already gave me the story this morning."

"Hannah, I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because look at who Christian Grey is, okay?", I inquire as I stand and straighten my composure, or what's left of it. He's conceited, egotistical and totally keen on putting others down to put himself higher for all to see. How the hell could I cover this? I want nothing to do with the man."

"Listen, you don't have to. You can go undercover as Claire and wear a wire with your camera on your back. You don't even have to talk to him; all you have to do is just follow him around."

"This is crazy" I say as I start to exit the room but Hannah stops me in my tracks.

"Wait", she says and I reluctantly look to see what she has to finish. "I know this isn't right up your alley but it'll be really good PR for us and I can guarantee a generous paycheck is you accept the invitation. Plus, you can call out Mr. Grey on his lies once and for all."

"And then what after that? I'm trying to save my status, not make it fall through the cracks in a sea of ignorance and displeasure."

"This could put you back on the map. No one will think less of you once you write this and grab people's attention. That's what you're good at."

"Yeah, I'm good at ruining people's lives. That's what they all say and I'm starting to see it as true."

"After four years? It's just a job, Ana."

"One that's changed who I am since day one."

"I know but listen to me.."

"No. This is bullshit. I can't do this Hannah; get somebody else and leave me out of it."

"Ana…"

"Goodbye", I say and abruptly leave before she can finish. As I approach the elevators, an intern, Lynn, bumps into me with a load of coffee for the break room and spills most of it on the floor.

"Shit. Should've aimed higher and then you could be as soaked as your heart."

"What do you want Lynn?", I ask annoyed as I struggle to wipe the stains from my shirt and pants. Pretty sure that wasn't an accident but why should I be surprised?

"Nothing much. Wish I could say the same about your clients though."

"They pay well. It's more than you ever see in a decade and that was on my own."

"Yeah, you're right. Being part of the paparazzi is a really difficult job but at least you can handle yourself when others view your trashy work."

"Only in some moments but how would you know? The only pics you take are salacious but they aren't for any damn clients I can tell you that."

"Listen bitch, you think you've got a hook in the company but if it were up to me, you'd be out of a job in less than a day." I laugh at her threat and throw my head back as I do.

"Wow. And just when I thought that you were smart for a second."

"You won't last much longer here, Ana. Nobody makes it big from what you claim to be."

"And what is that?"

"Simple; a good person."

"Yeah, well, I don't need you to remind me of that. I would quit this any day if I could but I can't, so deal with it and move on."

"Fuck you Ana. I hope you and your camera are very happy together."

"We'll send you a postcard when we get the chance", I say sarcastically but as a joke as well. Lynn leaves disgruntled but I don't care. She gets what she deserves and nobody gives a damn about it. at least I can sleep with that thought in my mind; it's better than the alternative.

As I stand there contemplating my latest assignment, I notice a newscast on a nearby television and my curiosity is spiked when I see it's on Christian Grey himself.

 _What the hell has he done this time?,_ I think to myself as I read the yellow lettering below the screen; _"Christian Grey and mayor sign a new orphanage in Greg Barker's name and city is more than thrilled. More on event later tonight at ten Eastern."_

"Heh, figures. Probably to make him seem more humane than he actually is", I say to myself and turn away from the television as a news spread on the Mariners replaces him for good.

If I do this, what good does it do for me? Me and Kate could use the money but of all things why do I have to stand behind this just to keep the ends in touch? It hardly ever seems worth it and I'm reluctant to agree on the position at hand. Exposing Christian could be on my agenda but what about the after-effects for myself? Could this really put me back in the game? Would people buy and stick with it? I wish I knew, I really do but my mind is racing too much to put it in full prospect that doesn't drive me insane in its wake.

I look back on Hannah and she's still the same as when I left her. Did she think about how I would react to the update or was she anticipating it for my sake or lack thereof? She's sneaky like that; I'll give her credit. As I stand there thinking about it, I ponder over the expectations and results and honestly, it sounds a little promising but not by much. Claire might come in handy but I don't know, the risks are high and I'm not too interested in their source. Finally, I walk back to Hannah's office and enter the room for my answer.

She looks a little on edge by my appearance and sudden return but I can tell she looks relieved at the same time.

"Promise me something?", I inquire in reply.

"Sure."

"No one in the department knows of my assignment and all credit goes to me when I take this son of a bitch down once and for all. No partners; no exposure."

"So you'll do it?", she asks a little too hopeful in response.

"Yeah. What have I got to lose?"


	3. Chapter Two

**It's a tight** squeeze but I finally made it through. Mr. Grey sure enjoys his space.

I make my way through all the corridors to find his office but so far, no luck. It's hard to tell one damn room from the other and I'm starting to lose my patience quicker than I expect. Towards the end of a nearby hallway, I notice an unmarked door and sigh a sign of relief; that must be Christian Grey. As I make my way for it, I suddenly hear someone calling out for me at the other end of the hallway. I turn and see two security guards heading my way. This should be fun.

"Miss, you're not authorized to be up here", one of them states. He's a gruff, forty-something looking thug that clearly means business with his orders. He honestly looks like he belongs in a motorcycle gang and I laugh at the thought. His partner looks like a rookie and slightly smaller than the other. Gee, and I thought I was skinny.

"Actually, I am authorized and I have the verification to prove it", I remark as I pull out an access pass and hand it to Motorcycle Man.

"Claire Leonard? What's your business at GEH?"

"I'm currently working for Christian Grey."

"Is that so? Can I see your credentials?" I reach into my bag and hand him the files.

"No-one made any remark about a new employee joining the company", Motorcycle Man retorts.

"With the rise of the paparazzi straining in, do you really think news like that would ever reach you in time? It was last minute but I'm requested to meet with Mr. Grey as soon as possible."

"He knows who you are?'

"Cleary, otherwise I wouldn't be here now would I?" The guy's not buying it.

"We'll see about that. Wait here", he demands and I'm left with Mr. Wimpy as he goes to check in with Christian Grey. I smirk in his wake but he looks away sheepishly as I do. _Score._

Motor Guy comes out within a few minutes—longer than I expected—looking a little dissatisfied as well.

"Mr. Grey claims that you already spoke with Ros Bailey about this, correct? When did you first make contact with her?"

"About a week ago. Do you need it in writing?", I joke.

"No thank you. He'll see you now but make it quick."

"Yes sir", I joke with a small salute. Motor Guy hands me my files and leaves with his partner, obviously regretting his encounter with me.

 _As if I care._

I fix up my hair, check myself and make my way inside. Again, this man really likes his space.

"Miss Leonard", he addresses formatively. _Hmm, he's better looking than I thought._

"Mr. Grey", I respond and shake his outstretched hand.

"Please, have a seat", he states and I do as I'm told. He sets some papers down before taking a seat at his desk.

"I heard that you already talked with Ros Bailey before coming here, is that correct?"

"Yes sir. I was informed of some last-minute hiring and wanted to act as quickly as possible."

"May I ask why?"

"The company has promise and I'm a woman after vitality. I read the publishing on Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc. and felt that the potential it circulates was exactly what I was looking for, so I contacted Miss Bailey and set up an interview before they got too out of place."

"What was your work experience before coming here?", he asks and I do my best to fake my reaction.

"Honestly, it was horrible. My boss only hired me for one particular reason and fired me when I refused his advances. I was left in a state of depression and couldn't find my way out, but every other job offer just didn't have the challenge for me, so I started looking a little deeper for a much greater cause. That was how I came across to GEH, to escape from my corrupt and all-consuming past."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thank you sir", I say as I attempt to wipe away a tear.

"Why do you think you're a viable attribute to what GEH has to offer?"

"I'm highly qualified, very high-handed, disciplined and liable to get the job done. I'm also determined, well-orchestrated and fully capable of doing the job right the first time, rather than stumble through the tasks at hand. I also have high recommendations from a previous job—apart from the one I mentioned—and my employer has spoken very highly of me as well and even recommended me for this job."

"May I see that please?"

"Of course sir", I respond as I hand him everything I own. He studies them carefully for a few minutes and I struggle to hide my amusement.

 _Right out of the palm of my hand…_

"Very impressive, miss Leonard. However, I'm not sure if GEH is precisely what you're looking for in an aspiring career."

"Oh, but it is. GEH is exactly what I should be chasing and if I'm to go anywhere from here, I believe that GEH can help set me on the right track."

"But we don't have much to offer here."

"But you do have the positions that I'm best suited for and can keep on track for as long as it takes to bring my life back in order. I did some research on your company and was very impressed by what I found", I lie and fight to hold back my snort.

"Such as?"

"Well, for starters, you were the youngest entrepreneur to begin his own company and has financed some very successful projects to help better the fate of the world. I recently saw a news report on an orphanage that you're planning to open, as well as the beginning of some major blueprints to bring better electricity devices to homes with poor incomes. Personally Mr. Grey, I'm astonished by what I've found and I truly admire just how far you've come and how well you've succeeded; regardless of how short your time here has been." _Right, a rich man in a rich family with everything by his side just paints the epitome of a successful businessman that claims to care about the world._

"I appreciate your praise, miss Leonard, but there's far more qualified man that can pull off the work I've done. However, I am impressed by your resumé but need to run it by my assistant first to make sure that everything's in order."

"Understood."

"Please excuse me and make yourself at home", he says before pressing a button on his phone. "Andrea, bring some water for miss Leonard. I'll only be a moment." Within a few moments, she answers back.

"Right away sir", she remarks and about a minute or so later, she walks in with a water bottle but almost stumbles as she does. _Is it that hard to balance?_

"Here you are ma'am", she stutters. _Jesus, have I ever heard that one before?_

"Thank you", I respond as nicely as I can.

"You're welcome, miss", she says as a form of correcting herself. Christian excuses her and she blushes at his remarks. _What?_

"I'll only be a moment", Christian asserts towards me and exits the room but keeps the door ajar. Once he's out of my hearing range, I quickly burst in laughter.

"Shit, he actually fell for that!", I snort. _They always do._

Just then, my phone starts ringing but I quickly put it to mute. Hannah can wait.

Once I do, she tries calling me again and I throw my phone in my purse.

 _Not now, Hannah._

Soon, Mr. Grey reappears and I sit up to complete my form.

"Miss Leonard, as much as we would like for you to join our communal, you'll have to go through some tests before we can make a final decision."

"Such as?", I ask.

"Paperwork mostly but you'll also be engaged in company organizations, will attend me in some meetings and have to go through a series of training so we can find a position that suits your needs."

"Whatever I need to do, Mr. Grey. I guarantee that I won't let you down."

"We'll see. Can you come in Monday morning at 8:00am to start?"

"That'll be just fine."

"Good", he says as he motions for me to stand. "Until then, miss Leonard." He extends his hand to shake mine and I willingly accept.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Grey."

"We aim to please, miss Leonard. Andrea will show you out", he remarks as he calls for her attention. She arrives just a few seconds later. _Damn, she's quick._

"Ma'am", Andrea addresses and I struggle to not roll my eyes at her. _What am I, forty?_

Soon, my phone starts ringing again and I irritably pull it out.

"If you're going to let me do my job, then don't interrupt me when I'm actually doing it", I answer once I've picked it up.

"Get down to my office; now!"

"Shit, are you okay?"

"I'll tell you when you're here."

"Okay, okay I'm on my way", I say as I hang up. _Jeez, what was that about?_

"See you Monday, miss Leonard", Andrea affirms once we reach the lobby.

"Thanks", I mumble and make my way out. I find Wanda, climb in, and make my way to Seattle Publishing.

 **The company's frantic** when I arrive and it's harder than usual to find a fucking spot. I finally pull up outside SP as a crowd of paparazzi invade the doors and surround the building everywhere I turn. I slip my sunglasses and cap on and cautiously make my way outside.

"Miss, have you heard about the leaked photos sent out this morning by an unknown source and the possible break-in from the source?", one paparazzo says as he shoves a mike in my face.

"No comment", I respond and struggle to make my way inside. Once I'm in, I quickly make my way to the front desk and to my luck, Erika's right where she's supposed to be. Thank God Hannah called her in.

"Erika, what's going on?"

"Get upstairs to Hannah's office; she'll explain there."

"Alright. Thanks", I reply. I head for the elevators and walk inside.

Hannah's chatting with an officer when I arrive and I stop dead in my tracks. I tie my hair up in a ponytail and slip on my cap and pull the front down just as they exit her office and start heading my way. I pretend not to notice them and casually make my way inside.

"Hannah, what's going on?", I ask after closing the door.

"You need to sit down for this", she remarks and I do as I'm told.

"Tell me. I was busy with Christian Grey."

"How'd it go?"

"Do I really need to de-brief?"

"Let's just hope you can keep that up", she says as she sits down and lets out a long sigh.

"What is going on?", I ask again.

"Somebody broke into your apartment."

"What? That place is like a fortress."

"Apparently they snuck in but, that's not the reason why I called you in here." She then pulls out a manila envelope from one of the top drawers at her desk and hands it to me. I take it, unhook the seal, and my jaw drops; it's me…all of me.

"What the hell?", I nearly shout.

"Somebody took pictures of you, and then leaked them online."

"Who the hell did this?"

"I don't know yet but it's making the company look like a joke. The press even believe that you released them yourself."

"Of course they would. They believe any fucking thing that comes at 'em without checking it out. Any leads?"

"Not yet but we're trying hard."

"You think it's Jack?"

"Why would Jack do this?"

"Oh come on, Hannah. After that piece I ran on him a few years ago, he's been trying to ruin my career since I ruined his."

"Have you seen him lately?"

"Yeah, when I came here and found out my latest story."

"Any idea where he might be?"

"How should I know? Once he releases a story, he always goes into hiding."

"Ana, I promise you that we'll figure this out. I'll even have a press conference to sort this out."

"No, thanks", I say before I let out a small sigh. "I'll handle it", I remark and make it clear that I want to drop the subject.

"You land the position?"

"I'm starting at GEH Monday morning."

"Nice work, Ana."

"Well, you got the best", I smirk.

"How'd you get past security?"

"Let's just say, I'm a much better actress than I thought." Hannah just laughs.

"My bad. I shouldn't have asked." Just then, I hear a pager go off and Hannah checks the message on the screen.

"Damn it", she whispers.

"What is it?"

"Christian Grey's plane was supposed to leave this afternoon but I just got word that it's leaving now."

"Right now?"

"You think you can hit the tarmac in thirty minutes?"

"Please, it's Ana Steele you're dealing with."

"Then get going. He's starting some surprise business today and I want you to write it up."

"Already on it."

"Then go! Give me a report this evening, alright?"

"You got it", I declare and head out. I've never had to follow along like this for this job but since it's Christian Grey, I'm looking forward to the experience.


	4. Chapter Three

**"** **And you're sure it's him?",** my friend, Jerry, asks. Jerry's responsible for PR in Seattle but he's also the man to go to for a good ole arrest.

"Positive. It feels like his scene", I reply. I told him about Jack and as always, he believes me.

"Fuck, Ana. I can't believe he did that to you."

"It's nothing. Just try to take care of it as soon as you can."

"Will do. Where are you?"

"Paris."

"Paris? What are you doing there?"

"You really wanna know?"

"No, I don't", he responds and I can't hide my laugh.

"Thanks again, Jerry. I'll let you know if I find anything else."

"I'm gonna hold you to that. Take care, Ana."

"You too. Bye", I respond before hanging up.

"Miss Leonard?", I hear someone ask and turn around to see Christian Grey standing behind me. _Shit._

"Mr. Grey, good to see you again", I lie smoothly.

"Likewise but, what are you doing here?", he asks, just as confused as he looks. I wasn't planning on seeing him so soon but Claire was the only way I could through. If I came as Ana, nobody would let me on board, and then it would take even longer to get here.

"I was hoping for some insight into your work. I arrived just a little bit ago and was hoping to come see you." _Yeah, hoping._ Wouldn't you like to know?

"I see. You're very tenacious, Miss Leonard", he regards me intently.

"You have no idea, Mr. Grey. I hope I haven't startled you."

"No, it's fine. I was just heading out. Can we give you a lift?"

"Thank you, but I can just call a cab." _Why the hell would I wanna ride with you?_

"Please, I insist", he states and I'm close to rolling my eyes in response. _Shit._

"Well, if you insist", I smile as sweetly as I can and follow him and his driver, Taylor, to a parked Sedan. I hand Taylor my bag and he places it in the back.

"Miss Leonard", Taylor remarks and holds my door open for me.

"Thank you, sir", I reply and slide in as Christian follows close behind. _Fuck, what am I doing?_ This wasn't part of the plan. I just wanted to watch him on the side and now I'm in a fucking car with Mr. Control Freak.

"Where are you staying?", Christian asks, interrupting my thoughts.

"Park Hyatt Paris", I reply.

"Good. Me too." _Of course you are._

"Any other stops, Mr. Grey?", Taylor asks once we depart.

"After we're settled. I want Miss Leonard to take in the sights."

"Very good, sir."

"Do you travel to Paris a lot, Mr. Grey?", I ask. I'm suddenly interested if he ever leaves Seattle.

"Only for business. I don't come as often as I'd like."

"Is it because of work?"

"Mostly, but it's also a choice. I'm too busy with a social life to even think about travelling."

"I'll bet." _Not._

"Have you been?"

"This is my first time." As I say this, I'm surprised I haven't. I've always wanted to travel but work kept me from it. Kate said she's been but that was before we met.

"Any place you wish to visit besides here?" _Why is he asking me this?_

"London", I say wistfully. _How did we get to this?_ I don't even know this man.

 _Yet._

 _What?_

"Any particular reason?"

"Literature, I guess. I want to visit the places where such wonderful books were written."

"Is literature your thing?"

"I guess so. I just don't have the time for reading, unfortunately."

"May I ask why?" _No._ Why are we doing this?

"No reason. Just life", I respond and smile in return.

"I understand." Hopefully that's enough to put him off. "Maybe while we're here I can show you around."

"That would be nice, Mr. Grey", I respond, not too sure if I mean it or not.

 **We arrive at** the hotel and my jaw drops at the sight. It's beautiful. I can see why Christian wanted to come here. Just then, I hear ringing and look to see Christian pulling out his phone and answering it.

"Grey", he responds.

"Shall I help you with your things, Miss Leonard?", Taylor asks, briefly startling me as he does.

"No, thank you. I can manage", I smile. He takes the hint and leads me inside. I think I could get used to this. We head for the reception desk and a man behind the desk smiles when he sees Taylor.

"Monsieur, Taylor!", he exclaims.

"Hello, Phillipe", Taylor responds.

"Who is your friend?', he asks, directing his attention to me.

"Claire Leonard. I'm working for Mr. Grey", I explain.

"Ah yes, we have your reservation. Are you enjoying Paris?", he asks and I like him immediately.

"It's a beautiful city. I'm happy to be here", I confess because it's the truth. Regardless of the circumstances, I'm thrilled for the experience.

"We're happy to have you here, too. Shall I show you to your rooms?"

"Please", Taylor interjects.

"Right this way."

 **Once we're settled,** Christian finally emerges and directs his attention to Taylor, who nods in response and quickly leaves the room. _What's that all about?_

"Miss Leonard, would you like me to show you the sights?", he asks once Taylor is out of earshot. _Are you serious?_

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Grey. I have some things to do", I lie.

"As you wish", he replies. _Whoa, that was easy._ "Please make yourself comfortable and we'll be back later this afternoon. If you need anything, let me know."

"Is there anything you'd like me to do?"

"Now that you mention it, I would like you to look over some paperwork for a meeting I'm attending in the morning. As such, I would also like you to fax over some files to Andrea."

"Will do."  
"I'll see you later, Miss Leonard", he responds before heading off. _Asshole._

"Jeez, he'll be a lot easier than I thought", I remark to myself before removing my disguise. Sometimes I forget what it's like to be Ana. Just then, my phone rings and I look for it, briefly forgetting where I put it. Finally, I find it in my bag and check the caller ID. Kate?

"Kate?", I say once I pick up the phone.

"Ana, where are you?" _Shit._ I didn't tell her about my departure.

"I'm with Mr. Grey."

"What? Where?" _Here goes…_

"Paris", I state and I'm rewarded with silence.

"Kate?", I say after a while.

"You're in Paris?", she says finally.

"Yeah. I didn't wanna lose Mr. Grey, so I boarded a flight and ended up here."

"And he knew about it?"

"We met at the airport", I respond, keeping my tone clipped.

"So, you're stalking him now?" _What?_

"Kate, I don't do stalking."

"And yet you're in Paris."

"So what?", I try for nonchalance.

"Ana…"

"Kate, don't. I'll be fine."

"It's not that. Is this guy really worth the risk?"

"Of course he is. It's my job."

"And what about Jack?"

"What about him?" _Where's she going with this?_

"After what he did to you, are you trying to get back at Christian Grey?"  
"Kate, it's nothing. I told you I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am. This is who I am and, I need to take this before it's too late", I respond, trying hard not to fall apart as I do.

"Ana, you know I'm here for you, right?", Kate says gently after a beat.

"Yeah. I know."  
"Just try to take easy, okay? I don't wanna see you getting hurt again."  
"Kate, I won't. Besides, Hannah said this'll be great for business and I can finally get the press off my back."

"I hope so, Ana."

"Don't worry, it'll be fine. Anyway, why did you call?"

"Oh, I just wanted to tell you that I got that job I told you about."  
"Really? That's fantastic!"

"Yeah but, it's not the only news I wanted to tell you."

"What is it?"

"It's Elliot. We got back together." Now it's my turn to fall silent.

"Ana?", Kate says when I don't respond.

"How?", I ask.

"He called and I decided to answer. We went out to dinner and next thing I know he asked if I'd take him back."

"And you said yes?" I can hardly believe it and hope Kate doesn't notice.

"Yeah. He felt sorry after what happened with Christian but once I heard his side of it, I decided to forgive him."

"And both of you are alright?"

"So far, yes we are."

"Wow, Kate, I'm so happy for you. Can I expect to see him more often?"

"We're hoping but just one thing at a time", she responds and I can tell she's smiling.

"Good. Hey, I gotta go but I'll call you when I can."

"Sounds like a plan but you better send me pictures."

"You think that I wouldn't?"

"Yes", she giggles. I'm not used to hearing her laugh.

"You know me so well. Okay, talk to you later and congratulations on Elliot."

"Thanks. I'll tell him you said hi."

"Don't mention where I am, okay?"

"You have my word. Talk to you later."

"Thanks. Bye", I reply before hanging up. So, Elliot's back with Kate. For some reason, I'm happy to hear this. They were pretty hot and heavy when they were together but after the fiasco with Christian, I started to wonder if she would be okay. I'm not used to seeing her so depressed.

 _You're one to talk,_ my subconscious remarks. Ignoring her, I take out my laptop, plug it in, and begin my work. If I'm going to fool Christian, I have to step up my game.

 **A few hours** go by and I'm exhausted. Who would've thought that reading and faxing could be so tiring? And strangely, I sort of enjoyed it. As I'm about to report Hannah on my progress, I suddenly hear a door closing and my heart skips a beat.

 _Shit, it's Christian._

Quickly, I grab my Claire attire and slip it on just as Taylor and Christian knock on my door.

"Just a second", I call out and check myself before answering the door.

"Miss Leonard, settling in okay?", Christian asks, hopefully not noticing how dazed I look.

"Fine, thank you. I just sent off the last of the reports."

"Really? You must be a fast reader, then", he says impressed.

"I do what I can."

"Good. Listen, if you want, I would like for you to attend my meeting this morning."

"Sure, when?" _Why do I sound so excited?_

"Between seven or eight."

"I'll be there", I reply just as my phone starts to ring. I pick it up and see that it's Hannah.

"I'm sorry", I begin but Christian stops me before I can continue.

"Take it. I just have some calls to make and check a few things. I'll be in my room for the rest of the day."

"Okay. I'm here if you need me", I reply before grabbing my bag and heading outside. Once I know it's clear, I pick up the phone.

"Hey Hannah, what's up?"

"Ana, did you arrive on time?"

"Yeah. I was just about to let you know but I got a little distracted."  
"It's okay. Any reports?" Jeez, she's persistent.

"Nothing yet. Mr. Grey just asked me to do some paperwork and wants me to attend a meeting in the morning."

"Any idea what it's about?"

"Not yet but I said I would go."

"Okay. How're you holding up from yesterday?"

"Hannah, I'm fine. I called Jerry and he's taking care of it."

"You tell him it was Jack?"

"No, I figured he could read my mind", I joke and Hannah laughs in response.

"Listen, I'm really sorry about what happened yesterday. If I had known it was Jack…"

"Hannah, don't worry about it. Jack's just an asshole getting back at me for what I've done."

"I know, but releasing the pictures…"

"Isn't on his agenda, I know, but don't worry about it. He's getting what he deserves."

"Least you broke his nose", she chuckles.

"And that makes it even better", I smirk.

"That's my girl. Listen, I gotta go but e-mail me if something comes up. I don't need the press running with this."

"Trust me, they won't find out. I'll go to the meeting and let you know what's going on."

"Good. Be careful, Ana. You have me worried sometimes."

"I know. I'll talk to you later."  
"Bye."

I reply and I hang up. This won't be easy, but hopefully by tomorrow I can get a peak into Christian Grey. Maybe it's the cold, but I have a feeling I'm getting more than I bargained.


	5. Chapter Four

_His tongue is there, swirling around until I can bear it no more._

 _"_ _Christian…", I moan._

 _"_ _I know, Ana. Just let it go."_

 _And with that, I'm spent._

 _Falling from my cloud of ecstasy, Christian sits me up gently onto his lap and cradles me in his arms. He kisses me tenderly and I'm lost again._

 _"_ _I know who you are, Ana", he remarks._

 _"_ _What?", I breathe._

 _"_ _Stop hiding from me, Ana. I know who you are."_

I jolt awake, trying hard to catch my breath,

 _What the hell was that!_

Did I just dream of Christian Fucking Grey? Shit! Rubbing my head, trying desperately to forget the dream, I sit up and place my head on my knees. I take slow, steadying breaths until I'm breathing normally again.

 _What the hell was that all about?_ He doesn't even know who I am.

Shaking my head at the thought, I pull the duvet off and hang my legs over the edge. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, I stand and decide on a jog. If I'm gonna work for this guy, I need my thoughts to _not_ cloud my mind. Checking my things for a pair of sweats and, on impulse, grab my wig and quietly sneak out of the room, careful not to wake or disturb Christian, and head outside.

 **As I jog** around a nearby park, my mind keeps racing back to my dream.

 _When's the last time I had an erotic dream?_

 _Never._

 _Fuck._

 _I know._

 _Shit._ I can't concentrate. As my feet pound the sidewalk, I stop by a nearby bench to slow my heartrate, or lack thereof. Placing my hands on my knees, gulping for air, I notice a large building with a _Do Not Cross_ sign capturing the front. _What the hell?_ Checking my surroundings, I lift the tape and head to the door. Knocking once, I check the handle and see it's unlocked. Opening the door, letting out a loud creak as I do, I step inside and my gag reflexes kick in.

 _Shit. What died in here?,_ I mutter to myself, although deep down this doesn't feel like a crime scene. As I look around, I notice stacks of books, twin sized beds, teddy bears and a large beanbag chair to fit one person. As I look around, I get a sense of adrenaline as I start thinking about a time from my past.

 _"_ _You can't be in here, miss", an older man addresses me when I step inside._

 _"_ _It's alright, Officer. I got a pass", I explain; sort of._

 _"_ _Doesn't matter, you can't go inside."_

 _"_ _What if I told you it was for something personal?", I ask coyly, arching a brow to emphasize my point._

 _"_ _Ana?", the officer exclaims. "What're you doing here?"_

Ah, those were the days. I might not be into stalking-except for now-but breaking and entering was definitely my thing. A sudden wave of guilt washes over me as I remember what happened the last time I ran a story, with Jack at my side. He had been my partner for three years until…he wasn't anymore. I always blamed myself but never allowed him to see me weak. I wouldn't give him the pleasure, so I held back and he never found out. Still, it was nice busting his nose the last time we saw each other. The thought makes me smile and I can't hide my chuckle. Abruptly, I hear footsteps approaching and freeze in my place. They get louder and louder until the sound vanishes… _What the…?_ I look up and see…Christian Grey?

"Miss Leonard?", he asks. _Fuck, not good._ I turn around and sure enough, there's Mr. Grey looming over me, just as surprised to see me as I am him.

"Hello, Mr. Grey", I smile as sweetly as I can. _How did he know I was here?_

"What are you doing here? The sign said _Stay Out_." Holy fuck, he's pissed.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Grey. I was going for a jog and came across this building."

"Why?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why are you here?"

"Curiosity, is all", I shrug. "Do you want me to leave?"

"This place is off-limits. Come, I'll take you back to the hotel", he addresses, his gray eyes glaring hard at me. Quickly, I take his pro-offered hand and follow him outside. I watch as he closes the door behind me and lock it tight. _What?_

"The next time you come around here, stay out", he orders sharply.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Grey. I didn't know."

"Can you not read, Miss Leonard?"

"Of course, but…"

"Stay out", he says, almost shouting. Biting my bottom lip, I let him go in-front of me to a car waiting outside. Taylor exits and holds open the door, motioning for Mr. Grey to enter. Christian gives me a look and immediately, I slide in beside him. Once Taylor closes the door, I suddenly feel as if I'm in detention…again.

"I wasn't trying to upset you, Mr. Grey", I say quietly, only it's partially true.

"Just don't do it again", he replies coldly and I hold my tongue. I turn my attention to the window and watch blindly at our surroundings as we pass them by. After a while, Taylor clears his throat, startling me, and motions for Christian to answer his cell. Clenching his jaw, he reluctantly picks up.

"Grey", he barks. _Great, now I have guilt…_

"When was this?", he asks and I do my best not to eavesdrop too much…but fail. "Then why wasn't I informed?...Ros, you have to tell me about these things. I don't fucking care what he issue is, I don't need the press hanging over my head." I struggle to hide my smirk. "Fine…Call me when it's ready. I'll see you soon", he huffs and hangs up.

"Everything alright, sir?", Taylor asks.

"The meeting was cancelled. Something came up", he responds impassively. Taylor takes the hint and drops the subject.

"Is there anywhere you wish to visit, Miss Leonard?", Christian inquires after a while.

"No thank you, sir. I'll go back to my room and finish some paperwork. You won't even know I'm there", I smile forcefully and continue to keep my gaze somewhere else.

"If you need anything, let me know", he says gently, causing me to look at him. His demeanor changes and it's something I'm not used to; he looks unsure. Because of me?

"Thank you, sir. I won't let you down", I respond and stare back out. The last thing I want is this guy at me. Still, the thought makes me smile. Bring it on, Mr. Grey.

 **About an hour** **or so** passes, I think, and I'm just about done. I looked over some files to fax over to GEH and while I was at it, I e-mailed Hannah letting her know of my progress. Just as I press **send** , I notice an e-mail from earlier waiting in my inbox; Erika? Since when does she e-mail me? Confused, I open up the file and grin at the sight; a manuscript. She's sent me a manuscript. Clicking on her e-mail, I read what she has to say.

 **From:** Erika James

 **Subject:** Advanced Copy

 **Date:** April 29 2019

 **To:** Anastasia Steele

Ana, sorry to bother you but here's that copy you wanted from my book. I'm still working on the title but maybe you can help me with that. Hope you like it and thanks for all your help.

P.S., good luck with Mr. Grey.

E James

Although unexpected, I'm glad to hear from a friend. Typing out a quick response, I save a copy of the file to my computer and get back to work. Erika's an inspiring writer but this is the first time she's had the courage to send me anything she's written. She's shy like that, although I have to admire her humility. She's good, really good, but doesn't think she can make it. I feel sorry for her though. She definitely knows how to tell a story. Her husband must be proud.

Pushing my thoughts to the side, I'm just about to start my work again until I hear a knock at the door. Closing my laptop, I quickly grab my wig and check the peephole. Unlocking it, I open it to see Christian Grey standing outside.

"Mr. Grey?" What's he doing here?

"Miss Leonard, I apologize for my behavior this morning. I was just caught off-guard by your presence when I wasn't expecting anyone to be there at all."

"Um, it's alright, Mr. Grey. It's my fault you were mad." _Kind of…_ I watch as he runs a hand through his hair, looking just a tad bit nervous. _Why?_

"Here", he says as he hands me an orange rose, wrapped tightly by a sparkling orange ribbon. Taken aback, I accept his gift, surprised by the softness of the rose.

"Good day, Miss Leonard", he retorts before turning on his heel and leaving my room. Closing the door, I lock it but feel a strange sense of happiness; a flower. He gave a flower for...what? An apology? Ana, stop it now. Before I have a chance to react, my phone starts ringing and I'm pulled back to the now. Setting the rose on a window sill, I grab my phone and check the ID; it's Hannah.

"Hey, Hannah. What's up?"

"You doing alright, Ana? You seemed worried in your e-mail."

"I'm fine, Hannah", I say, rolling my eyes. "What's going on?"

"I was just callin' to tell you that Jack's in the press."

"What?"

"Remember that time at SIP?"

"Of course."

"He's pressing charges…and threatening the company."  
"Threatening? How?"

"He claims that you hit him for no reason and once he found those rumors on me, somehow he thought he'd use them against the company. He's got the press eating this up."

"Then what am I supposed to do about it?"

"It looks like we're gonna need that Christian Grey story sooner than we thought." _What?_

"What good is that gonna do?"

"Ana, I don't know how to tell you this, but…"

"Hannah, spill it."

"Ana, Christian's under arrest. The cops are trying to charge him with abuse." As she says this, the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

"What?", I choke.

"Apparently, there was a woman he knew who ended up in the hospital after their last run-in together."

"Who was it?"

"I don't know, but she's beat up pretty bad. The police inquired him about it but he denied everything just last week."

"Last week? Then, why is this being brought up now?"

"The abuse happened six years ago."

"Oh my God…"

"Now you know what kind of temper he controls."

"Right", I choke, trying hard to find my own voice.

"Ana, you okay?", Hannah asks, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine", I lie, hoping she doesn't notice.

"You think you can handle this, Ana? It's way beyond what we expected."

"Hannah, I'm fine. I just came across an old building earlier today that Christian didn't want me to enter."

"Did he tell you why?"

"Just to stay clear. That's all I know."

"Fuck, Ana. Listen, I want you to take it easy with this guy and if anything goes wrong, call me and I'll take care of it."

"Hannah, I'll be fine. I've dealt with abuse before."

"Yeah and look how that ended up."

"He had it coming. They all do."

"Just be careful, Ana. I don't know how significant the construction will be but if you run into any trouble, call me right away."

"Sure, Hannah. Listen, I gotta go but I'll keep you posted, okay?"

"Sounds good. I'll be waiting for an update."

"Bye, Hannah", I remark before hanging up. Instinctively, I put my hand to my throat and rub gently, remembering the scars that were once there. _No, don't go there. He can't hurt you anymore. Is Christian really an abuser?_

Whatever it takes, I'm gonna take that lyin' bastard down.


	6. Chapter Five

**I'm researching some more** evidence on the assault and honestly, I'm sick to my stomach with what I've found. Christian was with some woman, Elena, who apparently was his mistress that decided to break things off...and that's when he snapped. I found pictures of her with large bruises on her face, arms and body and how she needed stitches with one spot on her arm. I put a hand to my mouth and continue to read on. Seemingly, he paid off Taylor and the cops not to tell anyone but after a report was filed, they interrogated him but couldn't make an arrest. _Bastard... Hannah, what the hell have you gotten me into?_

As I'm reading on, I suddenly hear a knock on the door and jump. Taking a deep breath, I close my laptop and call for them to come in. Christian enters the room with Taylor close behind. _What's he doing here?_

"Miss Leonard", he addresses and I silently thank God I still have on my disguise.

"Hello, Mr. Grey", I say as cheerfully as I can. He notices my expression and frowns at the sight.

"Is everything okay?", he asks.

"Of course. I'm just trying to catch up on my work."

"You'll need to take it with you; we're going back to Seattle."

"What?" _So soon?_

"I have some business to take care of. Someone trashed my apartment." _What?_

"Was anything stolen?"

"They broke into my safe and stole the contents. I need to head home and check the damage myself", he explains as Taylor gathers my things and heads outside.

"Anything I can do to help?", I ask, although I'm secretly hoping he says no.

"I need you to go to GEH and fill in for me until I get back. I might be a few hours but just tell them that everything's taken care of and I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Don't you need me to come with you?"

"That won't be necessary. Taylor can drop you off." As he says this, I suddenly get a terrible feeling and shake my head to clear my thoughts.

"No, that won't be necessary, Mr. Grey. I can drive up there once we arrive."

"If you say so", he says as Taylor collects the last of my things and I grab my bag and laptop as he departs from the room. Mr. Grey motions for me to exit first. I sling my bag over my shoulder and head out the door.

"Are you sure everything's okay?", he inquires as I lock my door.

"Of course, Mr. Grey. I'm just upset we have to go", I lie smoothly, although I have to admit that it's partially true.

"You can call me Christian", he says suddenly and I look and see him smiling as he leads me to his room.

"Christian", I remark and we head for the lobby.

 **Some hours later,** we finally arrive in Seattle and I suddenly feel a little calmer. I'm quietly hoping he takes longer than usual; I don't want to spend another second with this man.

"If you need anything, call me", Christian directs as we come to a stop.

"I will but I'm fully capable of taking over until you return. I would think you would contact _me_ if you needed anything", I joke and his laugh catches me off-guard. _Have I ever heard him laugh before?_

"Very well, Miss Leonard", he grins.

"It's Claire. Might as well keep the first-name basis", I tease and he laughs again. _I could get used to this. Shit, where did that come from?_ We exit the plane and I watch Taylor and Christian depart with their things and evidently, mine as well.

"I can handle that", I interject.

"Taylor can manage", Christian reassures me but I cling to my laptop as I'll need it for later.

"I'll be back as soon as I can", Christian remarks. "I have some paperwork on my desk that needs to be sent to a meeting on the same floor two hours from now."

"Do you want me to attend?"

"If you can handle it."

"Um, yes of course. I'll be sure to take notes", I smile, reassuringly I hope, and silently push him to leave me alone.

"Good. Good luck, Claire."

"You too, Christian", I retort and finally, they enter a car and drive off, leaving me on my own. Am I seriously on fucking first-name basis with this guy? Hannah will have a field day with this one.

Speaking of which, I call an Uber and direct it to take me to SP. Hannah has some serious explaining to do.

 **I pull up** outside SP and inform the driver to wait a moment. He nods and I quickly head inside. I wave to Erika and head for the elevators, replaying in my mind of what's just transpired overnight. Did she know about these claims beforehand? She didn't give any indication that she had but still, why the hell am I finding out about this now? Taking a deep breath to control my growing temper, I finally arrive at the floor and head for her office. I knock twice before she calls for me to enter, and I open the door to find her stuffing papers of some kind into her bag. _What the..._

"Ana", she says startled. "I wasn't expecting to see you today."

"Cut the crap, Hannah, I need to talk to you."

"Later, I have something to take care of."

"Hannah, why the hell wouldn't you tell me about this before hiring me for the job?" She stops for a moment and stares at me as if I've grown three heads.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about; Christian Grey."

"Ana, if I had known about this, I would've told you sooner. Someone sent me an e-mail about this and after some heavy research, I found it to be real. Now, if you'll excuse me", she states before heading for the door.

"What's going on?", I ask as I've never seen her look so worried before.

"It's nothing", she says before tucking her hair behind her ear, something she does when she's nervous. What isn't she telling me?

"Hannah, what's wrong?", I press gently and she looks away as if ashamed.

"I'm being blackmailed", she confesses and my jaw drops.

"What?", I ask since I can't think of anything else to say.

"This morning", she starts. "Someone called me and threatened to fire me if I couldn't send them $5 million dollars by tonight."

"Who is it?"

"I don't know, but I have to work something out with the bank and leave the money outside my apartment."

"Do you want me to help?"

"There's nothing you can do."

"Do you have any idea who it is?" _Who the hell would try to blackmail her?_

"Just someone from the past; that's all I know."

"Should I call the police?"

"No, I don't want them involved. This shouldn't take long."

"Hannah, call me when you're done and let me know what happens. If you need anything, let me know."

"I will and Ana, I'm sorry I got you into this mess. I swear, if I had known Christian Grey was violent, I wouldn't have given you this job."

"I know", I sigh. _Shit, why am I so angry at her?_

 _You know why._

"Oh, by the way, Jack Hyde was arrested."

"Finally, some good news", I remark and Hannah laughs in response.

"Exactly. Anyway, call me with an update and be careful, okay? I don't wanna see you get hurt."

"Wouldn't be the first. Good luck and please call me if you need anything at all."

"Will do. Keep up the good work."

"You too", I say and give her a hug before she leaves. I check my watch and see I need to get to GEH to fill in for that meeting. I notice the faint mark on my wrist and instinctively rub it gently, remembering the last time I knew abuse that didn't come from somebody else's hand.

 **I gather the** paperwork in my arms, check my wig, and head for the boardroom with what little confidence I have. I knock and an older man opens the door.

"Claire Leonard. I'm filling in for Mr. Grey", I explain and he holds the door open for me to enter. I make a mental note of everyone in the room; Mr. Dornan, Mr. Johnson, Andrea, Ros, Miss Jones—another intern—and some men I don't recognize. _Thank God I did my research._

"Please, have a seat Miss Leonard", the older man directs at me and I sit down beside Andrea and Ros.

"Are those the files he asked for?", Andrea asks and I nod in response.

"Yes. I double-checked I had everything", I reply and quickly start handing out the copies and adjusting myself in my seat. Miss Jones starts with Mr. Dornan and Mr. Johnson and Andrea leans in and whispers in my ear.

"Did Mr. Grey say what this was for?", she asks as I pull out a notebook.

"No, he didn't", I confess.

"It has to do with an old building in Seattle and some work down in Africa."

"What kind of work?" _He's working in Africa?_

"To help the less fortunate. We were just discussing some ideas on what to do with the building and what kind of plans we need to develop for our goals."

"I see", I remark.

"How was Paris?"

"Beautiful. It's a shame we had to leave."

"Mr. Grey never takes his employees on business trips and usually leaves once or twice a month. How did you end up there?"

"Um, I wanted to see the sights. I was hoping to work with him in order to learn more." _That last part at least is true._

"At least it was Christian Grey", she replies with the same look she gave during my first encounter with him. How the hell can she be so happy working with him? She could do a lot better than this. Shaking off the thought, I start jotting down some notes and listening attentively, both of which I'm very accustomed to.

 **Almost three hours** pass and we finally finish. I start gathering my things as Andrea says something to Ros and everyone starts leaving.

"Claire, do you want to go for drinks later?", Ros asks once everyone's dispersed.

"Maybe some other time. I have work to do", I say and start to head out. I start heading for my desk but stop in my tracks; someone I know all too well is standing just a few yards away, talking with one of the executives from the meeting. It's Lynn.

"Shit", I whisper.

"Is something wrong?", Ros asks as I hear her close the door behind her.

"Fine", I mumble and quickly head in the opposite direction, praying that Lynn doesn't notice me. I finally reach my desk and breathe a sigh of relief. I start unloading my stuff and contemplate whether I should go for those drinks or not. I'm here for a job, not to make friends.

"Hello, Ana", someone addresses and I look up to see Lynn standing over me with a smug look on her face.

"Lynn, what're you doing here?"

"Looking for new employment. Looks like I came just in time."

"Lynn, don't blow this for me. I'm just filling in until Christian comes back."

"Oh, it's Christian now?", she replies sarcastically and if I wasn't at work, I'd give her something to smile about.

"Fuck off, Lynn. I don't have time for this."

"What do you think you're gonna do when 'Christian' finds out who you really are? Need I remind you of all the arrests you've had...and poor Kate?"

"I'm working on that."

"Ha! You really think you can? Knowing you, I'd say a good reputation isn't exactly your strong point."

"You would know", I remark and Lynn lunges for me but I quickly step out of her grasp.

"Claire, is everything okay?", Andrea asks when she notices the commotion.

"Old work friend", I call out. "She was just leaving", I say before indicating that Lynn should leave. She flips me off discreetly and heads back to the executives. Andrea watches her leave and her brows furrow in confusion.

"What was that about?", she asks as I set up my laptop.

"Just a joke we used to play. I wasn't expecting to see her here." _Or ever._

"If you say so", Andrea responds but I think she catches the hint.

Just then, I notice Taylor striding into the room looking deeply apprehensive about something. Is Mr. Grey back already?

"Has Mr. Grey arrived here?", he inquires once he's close enough.

"No? Why?", I respond.

"He's missing." _What the hell?_


	7. Chapter Six

**"** **What do you mean he's missing?",** I ask once Taylor checks Mr. Grey's office.

"After we checked his apartment and ran a report with the police, I called an old friend to see if he could check something out for me but when I got back, Mr. Grey had disappeared."

"Is that unusual?"

"Not like this."

"You want me to help?" _Why the hell did I just ask that?_

"I can handle this, Miss Leonard."

"I want to", I interject, although deep down I could care less. Taylor regards me impassively but ultimately motions for me to follow. I wave back at Andrea and follow him outside.

 **We're walking around Seattle** and still no sign of Christian. We call out his name for what feels like the tenth-millionth time and my anxiety starts to spike.

 _Where are you, Christian Grey?_

"I really hope we find him", Taylor asks after a while and looks just as worried as I feel.

"Can I ask why you care? Christian doesn't exactly have the best reputation in the world", I say out loud. Even though I hate the guy and have nothing against Taylor, I still can't help but wonder why he should worry about him at all. According to all the sources, none of them have anything nice to say about him and overall, he's been that way since the beginning, even before then. Why should anyone care about him at all?

"Trust me, none of the rumors are true, no matter what they try to say."

"What do you mean?"

"Ever since Mr. Grey started out, people have been trying to exploit him as being unqualified for the job just because he was so young. You know he started out when he was twenty?"

 _I didn't know that._

"Yes", I lie.

"Well, that gave them an excuse to release some bad press to give him some extra pressure, but he kept going on and quickly became one of the most successful businessmen of our generation."

"How?", I ask. Before he can answer, we suddenly stop and hear what sounds like groaning coming from nearby. _What the...?_

Before we can ponder it further, we come across a building that looks vaguely familiar as Taylor rips apart the _Do Not Cross_ tape closing off the entrance.

 _"What are you doing here? The sign said Stay Out."_

 _Holy shit. The building he wanted me to stay away from._

Just then, we hear the groaning again and look to see a figure stumbling in the overgrown grass on the side of the house.

"Mr. Grey?", I ask out loud and he turns around and stares at us blankly, and I quickly notice he has a bottle with some dark liquid covering the bottom. _Holy fuck, he's drunk._

"Mr. Grey, are you alright?", Taylor asks as we go to help him but before he can answer, he suddenly collapses on the grass not moving at all.

"Fuck", Taylor exclaims under his breath and we quickly rush to his side to check that he's alright. Fortunately, it seems he's still breathing.

"Help me lift him up. We need to get him back to Escala", Taylor remarks and we cautiously help Christian to his feet.

 **We drive back** to Escala and, struggling, help Christian inside. I quickly notice the place looks immaculate, showing no signs that someone broke in.

"Here, his bedroom's over here", Taylor retorts, interrupting my reverie, and I follow him to a room down the hall. He pushes open the door with his foot and we gently lie Christian on the bed. He falls back with a loud thud but luckily, he's a little more conscious than before. _Thank God._

"He seems to be alright. I have some calls to make to let 'em know we found him", Taylor remarks and after looking back on Christian, I follow him out of the room.

"Taylor", I call out and he turns around just as he pulls his phone out.

"What did you mean earlier when you said that some people were trying to ruin Christian's career?" Even though I don't care, I'm still curious about how that happened.

"Basically, once the news broke out that a new entrepreneur was starting his own company under thirty, they were hoping he would quit when he wasn't qualified for the job."

"Then how did he get started?"

"More or less, a friend helped him out."

"And what about the press?" As I ask this, he sighs deeply and I wonder briefly if it was something I said.

"He didn't start out with luck", he says simply before continuing. "He had some bad companies and some thought he ran them to the ground, but it was really someone he knew that wanted to get revenge on him because of their relationship. They then started releasing some rumors on him exploiting the company and some other allegations but at the end of it all, none of them were proven but people believed them anyway and his reputation was ruined."

"How long ago was this?"

"Since he started out, I guess. Mostly, the articles on him are either old or mishandled but because it's Seattle, everyone believed them."

"Has it changed him at all?"

"Let me tell you something about Mr. Grey; he's not one to give up. Once those rumors started, not once did he decide to quit and take them too seriously. Like I said, he became—and still is—one of the most successful businessmen of our generation, and all his hard work finally paid off. Everything he's done has made some people realize he actually knows what he's doing, and no matter what, he doesn't take anything for granted. It's just one of the reasons why I enjoy working for him. None of my other employers were ever that determined."

"Are the rumors still circling?"

"Unfortunately", he sighs. "But Mr. Grey tries to ignore them. People might hate him, but he's not a bad man." _Unlike me._  
"What about that building we were just at? What's so special about it?" When I look at Taylor, he looks almost hesitant to answer. _Oh?_

"Let's just say, it holds something he doesn't want to let go." Before I can press him on it further, his phone starts ringing and after excusing himself, he exits the room. I stand in the hallway pondering over his words, reflecting back at a time from my past.

 _"_ _People might hate him, but he's not a bad man."_

 _Shit._

During my time with Jack, he led me to believe that I could do anything with this career and basically taught me the ropes in how to be successful. In some way, he was my mentor and more or less the reason why I'm here today; it was fun being his partner. However, I started to notice something within him that I never saw before, and for the first time in my life, I just wanted to get away; regrettably, he wouldn't let me, and that's when my suspicions became true. Because of him, I became who I am and ever since then, he's been harassing me and looking for any excuse to make my life worse.

I tentatively rub my wrist, remembering what happened the last time I was with Jack, before our incident in front of SP. It was the first time I ever knew fear, and even now, I'm still trying to hold it in. If I can't, I don't know who I am, and I'm not gonna let someone like Jack destroy my career. As if I haven't enough...

Just then, my phone starts ringing and after checking over my shoulder, I quickly answer it; it's Hannah.

"Hey, Hannah", I say as quietly as I can.

"Hey, Ana. How's the job going?"

"Fine. I'm definitely learning a lot from it", I answer coolly.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine. Um, how'd it go at the bank?"

"I just dropped off the money and haven't gotten a call since."

"Any idea who it might be?"

"Wish I did, but nothing yet."

"I'm so sorry, Hannah." As I say this, she's silent for a moment.

"Hannah?", I press gently. _What's wrong?_

"Ana, are you okay? You seem more distracted than usual."

"I'm fine. Just a lot on my mind is all."

"Is it about the job?"

"Sort of, yes."

"Wow. Guess Christian Grey has really gotten under your skin."

"That's an understatement", I reply. She laughs in return.

"Well hey, if you ever need a friend, you know I'm always here for you."

"I know that. Thanks."

"Anytime. Oh, I almost forgot, Jack Hyde's applying for bail." My blood runs cold and I almost drop the phone.

"Ana?", Hannah asks.

"When?"

"This morning when I left. Apparently, he's trying to tell the cops that you punched him for no reason."

"That bastard", I say under my breath.

"Tell me about it. You want me to do something with it?"

"No, it's fine. I'll deal with it when I get back."

"Back? Where are you?"

"Christian's penthouse", I shrug. Again, I'm answered with silence.

"Anything I should know?", she asks and I can sense she's smirking.

"What? No! Why would I ever be involved with Christian Grey?"

"I don't know but after what happened with Jack..."

"Hannah, that was a long time ago."

"And look what it led to."

"Yeah", I say as I gently rub my wrist. "I know."

"Ana, are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course. I'm fine. I just gotta figure out some things first and then I'll let you know."

"Whatever you say, Ana. Listen, I gotta go but good luck with Christian Grey."

"Thanks, Hannah. Talk to you later."

"Bye, Ana."

"Bye", I reply before hanging up. I'm about to go searching for Taylor when I suddenly hear something coming from Christian's room. I go to check and as soon as I push back the door, I see he's sitting up in bed.

"Miss Leonard", he slurs and takes another swig from the bottle.

"Mr. Grey", I state. "I think you've had enough to drink", I reply and go to take the bottle from his hands but he stops before I can.

"Not so fast, Miss Leonard", he retorts. "You only work for me when you're at GEH."

"Well today, I'm making an exception. Taylor's worried sick about you and fortunately we found you before it got any worse."

"Hmm", he chuckles. "That sounds like Taylor alright", he remarks and for a minute I think he's going to pass out. I go to help him up and he looks up at me with unfocused eyes. _God, he's beautiful. Shit, did I just say that?_

"You know, you're really beautiful. You kind of remind me of someone else I know; maybe even better", he says and I look at him in disbelief. _Did he just call me beautiful? Nobody's call me that since..._

"Mr. Grey, I think you should lie down", I say quietly as I start helping him out of his jacket and lay it on the floor.

"Sounds good to me", he remarks and before I know it, he pulls me down and kisses me gently, before pulling back and falling on the bed. I suddenly feel as if my heart just stopped beating. I check him and sure enough, he's sleeping soundly and for once in his life, he actually looks peaceful.

"Holy cow", I whisper and softly touch my lips.

"Is he okay?", Taylor asks suddenly, making me jump. I turn around and see him standing in the doorway. _Fuck, did he just see that?_

"He's still alive. That should be enough for now", I say dryly and clear my throat before trying again and taking away the bottle. "Is he always like this?"

"Not lately but luckily we found him when we did."

"Any news on the theft?"

"Not yet. The police are busy searching for the culprit and promised to contact us as soon as they find something concrete."

"You know who it was?"

"Not at the moment, no."

"I'm sorry to hear that", I say before I can stop myself, surprised by comment. Taylor smiles wistfully and steps behind me before reaching for Mr. Grey.

"I can take it from here. You can go home if you want", he says before throwing back the duvet and helping Christian into bed.

"Can you handle it by yourself?"

"I'll be just fine, Miss Leonard. We'll both see you at work tomorrow, if that's alright."

"Sure. Let me know if you need anything."

"Will do", he smiles and after gathering my things, I walk towards the elevator, still replaying what just happened a few moments ago.

 _Holy cow, I just kissed Christian Grey._


	8. Chapter Seven

**I'm tossing in bed,** unable to forget yesterday's events.

 _"_ _You know you're really beautiful. You kind of remind me of someone else I know; maybe even better", he says and I look at him in disbelief. Did he just call me beautiful? Nobody's call me that since..._

 _"_ _Mr. Grey, I think you should lie down", I say quietly as I start helping him out of his jacket and lay it on the floor._

 _"_ _Sounds good to me", he remarks and before I know it, he pulls me down and kisses me gently, before pulling back and falling on the bed. I suddenly feel as if my heart just stopped beating. I check him and sure enough, he's sleeping soundly and for once in his life, actually looks peaceful._

 _"_ _Holy cow", I whisper and softly touch my lips._

I wake with a jolt, breathing heavily and checking my surroundings. _My room. I'm in my room._ I touch my lips as I remember the kiss and how unexpected and, surprisingly, pleasant it was as well. _I just kissed Christian Grey._

Taking a quick, calming breath, I sit up in bed and contemplate going into work. The last time I was kissed was three years ago...by Jack. The first man I really started to love, until... _No. don't go there. Not now._ Shaking my head at the memory, I quickly stand and head for the kitchen. It's not alcohol but I still need a drink. I grab a glass from the cabinet and pour myself some water, before gulping it down as quickly as I can. _God, that feels good._

I go to check my phone and, surprisingly, I have three missed calls from Hannah. _Strange._ I never miss her calls. Not wasting any time, I tap her number and wait for her to answer.

"Ana, where the hell were you?", she almost shouts on the other end. _Holy shit, she's angry._ She hates it when I don't answer right thought makes me smile.

"I'm sorry, my phone must've been off."

"Well, I just a call about an hour ago from a woman asking for you; she said it was urgent."

"Who was it?"

"She didn't say but apparently she knows you from your work." _Of course she does._

"Was it serious?"

"I don't think so but apparently, she knows Christian."

"How?"

"Again, I don't know. I didn't give her your number but I was just wondering if you knew who she was. I don't need any more incidents next to Jack."

"Thanks, I appreciate that. Um, if she calls again, just tell her I'm unavailable but if it gets out of line, let me know and I'll take care of it."

"Ana, she called _me_ and from the looks of it, she didn't sound stable. If she becomes an issue, I'll take care of it myself."

"If you say so." _Does she think I'm some damsel in distress?_

"By the way, how's it going with Mr. Grey?" _Shit, I haven't told her about the kiss._

"Um, it's going fine", I lie, hoping she doesn't notice my bluff.

"Ana, are you sure you're okay? You've been really distracted lately."

"Hannah, I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"Do you want me to take you off the job?"

"What? No, of course not. I just need some time to sort this out."

"Are you sure?"

"Would I lie?"

"Well..."

"Hey", I scold, rolling my eyes. She laughs in return.

"I'm just kidding. Hey, let me know how things go with Mr. Grey, alright? I'm expecting a report by tonight."

"Sure thing."

"Good. Talk to you later."

"Bye, Hannah", I reply before hanging up. I set the phone down and take a deep breath to calm my growing nerves. _God, this is frustrating._

As I'm walking towards the living room, I look out and see someone smashing the hood of Wanda, my car, with what looks like a baseball bat. _What the hell?_

Grabbing a pair of jeans and a fresh shirt, I quickly run downstairs and find someone continuing the assault.

"Hey, that's my car!", I shout and the person turns around; shit, it's Lynn.

"Lynn? What the hell?", I scream as I try to take the bat from her hands.

"Well, well. I'd figured you'd be staying over at Christian Grey's apartment", she sneers. What the fuck is her problem?

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh come on, Ana. It's all in the papers that 'Claire' was shown leaving his penthouse yesterday." _What?_

"When?"

"This morning. Looks like someone leaked a photo of you online."

"Lynn, it's none of your damn business and nothing even happened."  
"Oh, really? Then why were you there at all?"

"Like I said, it's none of your damn business", I exclaim, almost shouting as she keeps the bat out of my grasp.

"Sure it isn't. I guess Seattle's most famous bitch only finds pleasure tapping every guy in the city. Or is it just Jack you're attracted to? I'm sure his intentions really made you wet", she smirks and it's the final straw. I throw her right to the ground and slap her hard enough to leave an abrasion on her cheek. Before I can go any further, I'm suddenly pulled back forcefully and look up to see two cops drawing me away.

"Hey, let me go!", I yell, desperately trying to escape.

"Nice to see you again, Miss Steele", one of them remarks.

"Oh, thank God you arrived. This woman just assaulted me after trashing my car."

"What?", I splutter.

"Don't worry, ma'am, we got this one taken care of", the other officer declares and soon, I'm pushed inside a police car but before I can escape, the two officers enter and start driving down the street.

 **I'm in lock-up** with about three other thugs, trying hard to remember the last time I was here. Before I was Claire, I broke into someone's apartment for a story I was running but unfortunately, they ended up being there and I got arrested on the spot. Since then, I've been a lot more careful.

 _All thanks to Jack._

I shudder at the thought.

After a minute or two, I look up and notice someone familiar standing by the desk. He's wearing a dark gray suit and his hair is slightly damp, like he just had a shower. _Oh no..._

"And you're sure it's her?", I hear an officer ask him after a moment.

"Absolutely. She pulled another stunt at my apartment and stole some files from my safe."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Mr. Grey. we've been trying to find some help for Leila, but I never thought she would go this far." _Leila?_

"Neither did I", Christian remarks, sighing.

"Don't worry, we'll find her and once we do, we'll be sure to let you know."

"Thank you, Officer. I'll be expecting your call", he remarks before heading my way. I quickly turn my head, hoping he doesn't recognize me.

"What are you in for?", he asks suddenly and I turn to see him standing outside the cell.

"Surprisingly, nothing", I shrug.

"Anything I should know?", he asks, intrigued.

"Nothing that concerns you, Mr. Grey", I remark dismissively.

"You know me?"

"Everyone knows who you are. It helps me keep my job."

"And what is it that you do?" _Shit._

"Journalism", I lie.

"Is that all?"

"No, I also make potions in my spare time", I joke, causing him to laugh. _Damn, I could get used to that.  
_ "And who might you be?" _Don't blow this, Ana._

"Ana. Ana Steele." He looks at me curiously and I wonder idly if he notices who I am.

"Scandalous Ana?", he says after a moment. _What?_

"Scandalous?"

"I saw your pictures online." _Shit, I forgot about that._

"You here to make fun of me, too?", I inquire.

"Why would I do that?"

"Those photos were unconfined by someone I used to know. I ruined his career and now he's ruining mine." _That's putting it mildly..._

"Has he been caught?"

"Ever since it happened." _Why is he asking about this?_

"Is he always like that?"

"More or less", I sigh, wanting to change the subject.

"Is there anyone to bail you out?"

"I didn't have a chance to call. I've been locked in here before." He regards me for a moment but before I know it, he walks over to the officer and exchanges some words that I can't hear. Soon, they both walk back to my cell and before I know it, the officer is unlocking the door. _What the...?_

"Now someone is", Christian remarks, catching me off-guard.

"Why did you do that?"

"Let's just say, I'm not the monster everyone makes me out to be." _I find that hard to believe._

"Thank you", I respond, still surprised by his chivalry.

"Do you need a ride, Miss Steele?"

"It's Ana and no I don't."

"Do you not trust me?" _Partly._

"Not at all."

"Miss Steele, you can't believe everything you read." _You're one to talk._

"I don't need to be saved anymore by you, Mr. Grey."

"Please. I insist." _Wouldn't miss this opportunity, Ana._

Sighing, I reluctantly accept his hand and follow him outside. I notice Taylor standing by what looks like an Audi and once he sees us approaching, he quickly reaches over and opens the door. I mumble my thanks and climb in, with Christian close behind.

"Where do you live?", Christian asks once we pull out.

"Um, a few blocks down. It's not far." _Why am I suddenly so nervous?_

"So tell me, why journalism all of a sudden?", he inquires, taking me by surprise.

"Um, a an ex-friend of mine got me into it."

"May I ask why?" _No._

"I was looking for a job and he offered me one at his company. We became partners after that."

"Are you still with him?" _Don't say 'with'._

"I used to be. We were dating for a while until...we weren't anymore."

"Why is that?" I shrug.

"Just didn't work out", I say quietly, secretly hoping he drops the subject.

"Do I make you feel uncomfortable?" _How do I answer that?_

"Not at all. I just don't like talking about this is all."

"Bad memories?", he presses gently and instinctively, I start rubbing my wrist.

"You could say that. My partner led me to where I am today."

"As a successful journalist?"

"I wouldn't say successful."

"What do you mean?"

"Mr. Grey, you've seen my stories and the kind of things I print. None of them were taken out of context but the lengths I went through..."

"Like your arrests?"

"More or less but, it's just the way I am and it's something I have to do."

"Why?" When he asks this, I furrow my brows at his comment.

"Because I have to", I reply. _Isn't it obvious?_

"If it bothers you that much, why continue to do it?"

"Because I have no choice. After my partner, I couldn't back away. I'm not proud of it but without this, who the hell am I supposed to be? It's already ruined my life, so what's the point in stopping?"

"Sounds to me like it's the only choice you have."

"What makes you think you know me?", I ask more forcefully than I intend.

"Miss Steele, I've read your stories. They're fairly detailed and it's obvious you're passionate about what you do. Now, I obviously don't know how your partner brought this on, but it sounds to me like you're more capable than you think." _When's the last time someone complimented my work?_

"What do you mean?"

"Do you know how I started in my business?"

"No?"

"A friend gave me some start-up money and helped me start my company, much to the dismay of my parents. Unfortunately, it only got worse from there." _What?_

"How so?" _Suddenly I'm intrigued._

"Let's just say, things didn't end well and I haven't heard from her since." My blood suddenly runs cold from his words. _Fuck, his abuse._

"Are you okay?", he asks, seemingly concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine", I choke, hoping we're close to my apartment.

"Hey", he says gently. "I don't know what you're so scared about, but I'm not the man everyone makes me out to be", he remarks and I feel like my heart has stopped beating. Before I can answer, I look out the window and see Wanda down the street.

"We're here", I declare and Taylor immediately stops.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Steele", Christian states as Taylor goes to open my door.

"You too, Mr. Grey", I remark, thankful I found my voice.

"Good luck with the article", he remarks and I notice he has gray eyes that give nothing away. _Holy cow, he's hot._

"Um, thank you, Mr. Grey", I stutter before quickly exiting the car.

"Are you sure you're okay?", Christian asks once I'm outside.

"I'm fine", I lie, reaching in my pocket for the key that I somehow managed to grab before I left.

"Good day, Miss Steele", he calls out before Taylor climbs in and they drive off. Once they're gone, I take a few deep breaths, trying to calm my pounding heart.

 _"_ _Miss Steele, I've read your stories. They're fairly detailed and it's obvious you're passionate about what you do."_

 _Yeah, passionate._

 _"_ _Maybe next time you'll finally learn your place."_

I shake my head at the memory and quickly make my way inside, hoping that I never have to see that man again.


	9. Chapter Eight

**"** **And then he just bailed you out?",** Hannah asks over the phone, sounding just as surprised as I feel. I just laid down my last encounter with Mr. Grey and honestly, it's still hard to believe.I'm not used to Hannah being speechless.

"Yep. Thank God I wasn't Claire at the time."

"Are you doing okay with this?"

"Sure, I'm fine. I'm just starting to wonder if I've been wrong this whole time."

"What do you mean?"

"Hannah, this guy has never known good press in his career, and it's been impossible for me to find anything good on him; including his allegation. But this? It doesn't seem to fit."

"Ana, he could just be faking it."

"Still, the sooner I get this done, the sooner my sanity can start to come back. He's just...he's just so different."

"Are you sure you can handle it?"

"Hey, I made it this far didn't I? Besides, I might have a plan."

"Which is?"

"For me to know and you to find out", I respond.

"Jesus, Ana", she scolds but I can tell she's laughing too. "Alright, take it easy and don't let this guy get under your skin, okay?"

"Easier said than done, but sure."

"Bye, Ana."

"Bye", I reply before hanging up. Taking a deep breath, I gather up the courage to go through with my plan; interviewing Christian Grey.

 **Gathering my papers** and what I could find on Christian, I step inside GEH and hope to God no one recognizes me as I do. Fortunately, Claire doesn't work today so hopefully, she won't be a topic. After taking a deep breath, I press the button for the elevator and once the doors open, I step inside and push the button for Christian's floor. Once it moves, I shift off-balance to the side and wonder if my nerves are getting to me or not.

 _Why the hell am I doing this?_

 _Because you want to learn more about Christian,_ my subconscious remarks.

Deep down, I know I have no choice since I've never known Christian to be a liar in the past, but at the same time, would he be willing to do this? He's never turned me down yet but either way, I hope I'm doing the right thing.

 _"Ana, Christian's under arrest. The cops are trying to charge him with abuse." No, don't go there right now._

After the doors open, I head for Christian's office just as Andrea steps out looking as flushed as always. _Jesus, does he always make her nervous?_

"Excuse me", I ask and she looks in my direction. "Is Mr. Grey in?"

"Oh, yes he's right in his office finishing up a call", she replies, looking pleased if I'm not mistaken.

"Is he open to an interview? I'm running an article and wanted to ask him some questions."

"Oh, um, I'm not sure but I could ask him. He wasn't expecting any visitors today."

"Could you tell him Miss Steele is here to see him?"

"Miss Steele? Sure, just one second", she remarks before setting down her things and heading back to his office. _Score._ A few moments later, she motions for me to enter and after fixing my hair, she leads me inside.

"Miss Steele, Mr. Grey", she addresses as he sets down his phone.

"Please come in, Miss Steele", he answers and I do as I'm told as Andrea closes the door.

"Good to see you again, Miss Steele", he smiles and I feel like I'm melting. _God, he really is hot._

"You too, Mr. Grey", I say, truthfully for once. "I was hoping I could have a minute of your time."

"Regarding?"

"An article for Seattle Corporation? I was hoping to learn more about your business." After a moment, he starts regarding my words and I secretly hope he sees through my bluff.

"If you wish, Miss Steele. What's your first question?" _Phew, I'm in._ Switching on a recorder, I look down at my list for the first question.

"For starters, what exactly is your goal for GEH? Has it always been a passion of yours to work in telecommunications?" Even this is something that I'm curious about.

"Well, I suppose it came from the life I had before. As you may have known, I lived in a broken home with an absent mother who thought that going out and hooking up was more important than her child. Every time she came home, it was always someone new, and I had to force her attention whenever it was necessary; I was basically on my own."

"And what about your father?"

"He died when I was born."

"I'm sorry", I say because it's true.

"Anyway, because of the life I was living, I wanted to give others a different opportunity for what they truly wanted and in my case, it was a profitable life."

"Meaning?", I press.

"Meaning, that the past shouldn't be used to define who we are, but rather define the person we want to be. Once I went to Harvard, I suddenly realized that all I really wanted was to help people in need so, with the help of a close personal friend, I started my business to make this dream come true."

"So, all this started because of your childhood?"

"More or less, yes. I lived in poverty since I was six and since then, I didn't want others to live the same." _Shit, I never knew that._

"And your parents, why didn't they approve?"

"Because my company was started while I was still in college; I almost didn't graduate but when I did, I was able to move on."

"And your friend?"

"She owed it to my mom." Wow, I guess he really does care the world. How did I miss this?

"Um", I say before clearing my throat. "Have your desires changed who you are or have you always been the same since they started?"

"Well, I don't claim to have a heart per se, but I do like to think that my advantages and desires have helped shaped me into the man I am today."

"Meaning a successful businessman?"

"No, a man determined to end world poverty. I'm not sure if you're aware, but many parts of the world suffer through extensive poverty and it's my job to help exterminate what causes it at all. Usually it's low incomes, but it's also terrible circumstances that lead to the event."

"And what led to your event?"

"The death of my mother. She had an illness which the doctors couldn't cure and one she couldn't afford. I was on my own for three days until they found me."

"That must've been tragic."

"It is what it is", he shrugs and I take the hint to move on.

"Um, I know you said that GEH has its goals on poverty, but is there anything else you're trying to fix as well?"

"More or less solar energy."

"What's that?"

"It's energy from the sun", he smirks. I roll my eyes at his comment.

"I know what it is but what do you mean by that?"

"As I'm sure you're aware, the economy is slipping and people's electricity is slipping on the side. What I'm hoping to accomplish is renewable energy that's free to the public, but also cheaper as we develop further plans."

"So, it would be open to the public?"

"Precisely, yes."

"Without your name on it at all?"

"Miss Steele, this wasn't my idea and the people involved deserve the recognition, but by doing it this way, we're hoping that other companies can start their own plans as a sort of inspiration for what we have in mind."

"Seems pretty risky", I say out loud.

"Not to us in the slightest. Helping the less fortunate should be a worldwide phenomenon, not just a plan created by my company alone."

"With all this being said, do you ever have time for fun?"

"I enjoy various physical pursuits, but I prefer working as often as I can."

"Can anyone pull you away?"

"Not even my own family can do that for me", he smiles and I can tell he means it. _Wow; hardworking._ Never would've pegged him for that.

As I'm thinking about it, another thought enters my mind that's been driving me crazy.

"Are you aware of the rumors of you splitting up your brother and Miss Katherine Kavanagh?" As I ask this, he furrows his brows at my comment. _Shit, did I go too far?_

"It's not what you think", he sighs and runs a hand through his hair before continuing. "When my brother, Elliot, started dating Miss Kavanagh, I was soon aware that someone was stalking her to her apartment and for a moment, I thought it was my brother. However, I suddenly realized it was just an ex-fling of my brother who was trying to tear them apart and unfortunately, they did just that."

"And what about your involvement?"

"There wasn't any involvement. I told my brother that until we could find the person who did this, he would have to break-up with Miss Kavanagh until things could calm down. The person wasn't entirely dangerous, but apparently Miss Kavanagh thought that I had something to do with it since it was my idea for Elliot to leave her."

"I don't understand."

"I told her that Elliot was cheating on her and once I said that, she started to believe it." _So, he broke them up to protect her from a stalker? Did Kate know about this and decided not to tell me?_

"I can tell by your expression that this isn't what you heard", he says when he notices my expression. _Shit, poker face, Ana._

"I'm sorry, Mr. Grey. I've been hearing a lot of rumors about you lately and they all seemed pretty viable."

"I can assure you, Miss Steele, none of them are true. Regardless of how the public sees me, I'm just not what they perceive", he states before getting up and standing in front of me by the desk.

"Is there anything absent on there that you want to know?"

"Um, why don't you think you have a heart at all?" He looks momentarily distracted before giving me an answer.

"Knowing me and my tastes, it's hard to determine if I'm a good man or not."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing too important but let's just say, sometimes I wonder if I'm doing this for myself."

"To me, it sounds like you're doing it for others."

"That's a matter of opinion, but I respect your idea. Is there anything else you wish to know before you leave?"

"Um, no I think that's it. Thank you, Mr. Grey."

"Call me Christian."

"Then you can call me Ana and hopefully keep it that way", I joke before switching off the recorder.

"Is there anything that I should know about you?", he asks suddenly, causing me to look at him.

"There's really not much to know about me", I shrug.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Positive."

"Then what did you mean when you said you've been locked up in the past?"

"You really don't know how I do my job, do you?"

"Seems to me like you just go after the facts."

"Hmm, that's putting it pretty mild."

"What do you mean?"

"It's nothing. Just a misstep in who I'm supposed to be", I retort, throwing his words back to him.

"Whatever you say, Ana", he remarks as I start heading out.

"What are you doing tomorrow?", he inquires once I'm out.

"What do you mean?"

"If you want to learn more about my company, I'd be willing to take you out for dinner to discuss." _Like a date?_

"Are you asking me out, Mr. Grey?", I smirk.

"Maybe I am, Miss Steele", he jokes. "... _I need you to keep a close eye on him and find out if the rumors are true."_

"Sure. When?" _Since when am I so eager?_

"Tomorrow at seven? I could pick you up then."

"It's a date."

"Good. Maybe then I could learn more about your."

"Try all you want, Christian but I'm not an open-book."

"We'll see about that", he laughs and I find myself laughing as well.

"See you then", I remark as I shake his hand.

"I look forward to it", he responds and for a moment I can't catch my breath. _Holy shit, I'm going out with Christian Grey._


	10. Chapter Nine

**"** **You're doing what?",** Kate exclaims for what feels like the tenth time today. I just told her about my date with Christian Grey and as always, I take her by surprise. I thought she'd be used to these things by now.

"So what? It's not a big deal", I retort, rolling my eyes.

"What if he recognizes you?"

"He won't, Kate. I've never been caught before."

"Do you have a plan in mind for this?"

"Kate, I've been on dates."

"That's not what I meant, I mean your article on Christian Grey."

"Oh, that. I'll figure something out."

"Ana, are you okay? I've never seen you distracted like this."

"Kate, I'm fine. I'll just act casually with him and hopefully get some insight into those claims I've been chasing."  
"Is that all?"

"Yeah, why?" _Where's she going at with this?_

"Ana, after Jack do you really wanna do this?"

"Kate, I'll be fine", I reassure her, smiling.

"And what about Christian Grey?"

"Trust me, Kate, I'm not gonna let that happen again. Besides, it's Christian Fucking Grey; what the hell could happen?"

"Has anything happened since?" _Shit. I still haven't told her about the kiss we had the other day._

"Of course not", I lie smoothly. "Now would you stop worrying? I hate seeing you like this", I joke and she laughs in response.

"I know but just remember, if he ever lays a finger on you, I'll kick him in the nuts."

"I know", I laugh, remembering what happened the last time a guy tried to come onto me unexpectantly. Kate was there and next thing I know, he's going to the ER for a broken nose and ribs. If I hadn't been there, I think she might've killed him. I chuckle at the thought.

"What?", Kate asks, interrupting my thoughts.

"Nothing. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay. Just be careful, alright? Let me how it turns out."

"I will", I smile before checking I have my stuff. Kate walks over the window as I grab my keys by the door.

"Oh my God", Kate calls out, causing me to look at her.

"What is it?" _What the hell happened?_

"Somebody trashed your car."

"What?", I shout and join her at the window and sure enough, Wanda, my car, has a smashed windshield and almost looks as if someone hit her with a bat.

"What the hell?", I exclaim before grabbing my things and running out the door. I race down the stairs and swing the door open, gaping in horror at the sight I'm looking at on the street. My breathing shallows as I step closer and see the words _"Crazy bitch"_ written on the side in what looks to be red paint. _Who the hell did this?_

I step closer and run my finger over the dents, which look to be about a few inches deep. I put my hand to my mouth, completely shocked that some sick fuck could do a thing like this. I know I have enemies but this? It's unacceptable. Pulling out my phone, I quickly speed dial Jerry and give him a rundown of the incident.

"Do you have any idea who did this?", he asks after a while.

"I don't know, maybe one of the people I ran a story on?" People have hated me over the years but none of them has ever gotten revenge on me from what I remember, although I'm astonished that they haven't.

"Are there any clues on the car?"

"Just dents and a _friendly_ message on the side", I reply, fully emphasizing the word.

"Don't worry, I'll get right on it. I can send a new car for you if you want."

"Thanks but I don't need any charity. I'll handle this but maybe there's some footage on the streets or something. Can you come here and investigate?"

"I'm on my way."

"Thanks, Jerry. I owe you one."

"Take me on that date and then we'll call it even", he jokes.

"Right, I'll think about it", I giggle. "See you later. Bye", I say before hanging up and seeing a car pull up beside Wanda. A car door opens and Christian Grey steps out. _Christian?_  
"Miss Steele, good to see you again", he remarks when he sees me.

 _God, has he ever looked this good?_

 _Shit, did I just say that?_

"Mr. Grey", I say when he approaches me.

"What happened?", he asks in regard to my car.

"Nothing to worry about. Just a little mishap. Are you ready to go?", I ask, changing the subject.

"Whenever you are", he grins as he goes to hold my door open for me, allowing me to enter first. _Wow, chivalrous._ I mumble my thanks before sliding into the car and nod my hello to Taylor, who professionally nods back. Christian slides in beside me and closes the door before informing Taylor of our destination.

"Looks like you managed to stay out of the slammer", Christian quips when we pull out.

"I don't spend every waking moment there, you know."

"Where do you spend most of your time, then?"

"Home, to be honest. It's the only place I feel comfortable, apart from my job."

"Do you love your job?" _More or less._

"It can have its advantages but it's mostly exhausting."

"What do you mean? Don't journalists ever sleep?", he smirks. I roll my eyes before giving a response.  
"Sometimes but my boss, Hannah, usually sends me out for an interesting story and if I like itI sign up to do the job. I need to do it because business has been a little slow lately."

"Competition?"

"No, just not enough intrigue. Exposing cheating husbands or wives isn't really my thing."

"So what is your _thing_?"

"Let's just say, that if a few cameras or a news coverage is involved, then I'm not too far behind. I just really like the attention."

"I can see why", he grins. _Did he just come onto me?_ _Ana, don't be ridiculous._

"You really know how to change a subject, you know", I say as I arch a brow, challenging his next remark.

"Does that surprise you, Miss Steele?"

"Nothing you do surprises me, Mr. Grey."

"I told you, none of the rumors are true."

"You think you can prove it?"

"Are you anything like Claire Leonard?", he asks, catching me off-guard.

"What about her?", I ask, trying to sound casual.

"She's one of the new employees at my company and with the things she's done in the past, I'm surprised she still has a career."

"How so?"

"I once heard she got a co-worker fired because of an article she ran on him and he didn't react well when he read it the day after." _Oh, Ernie and the sex scandal. I almost forgot about that._

"How am I any different?"

"Do you get pleasure out of your career when it leads to the dismay of others?"

"I never have." _At least that much is true._

"Then you two are different."

"Is she causing problems for you?"

"No, but I am skeptical about hiring her though." _Shit._

"She sounds like a handful."

"Have you ever met her before?"

"No, but I read her articles. They're...unique, to say the least", I retort.

"That's one way to put it. Guess it's good you're nothing like her."

"How do you know what I'm like?"

"I already told you; you seem passionate about your work."

"I guess so", I reply with a shrug.

"You guess so?"

"Nobody's really seen any potential from, except for one person", I say quietly, hoping he drops the subject. Before I know it, he reaches across and grasps my hand before giving it a gentle squeeze, to reassure me, I think. _Oh my..._

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable", he says gently.

"It's okay", I smile and we continue to ride in silence.

 **We pull up** outside a club before Taylor steps out and opens my door for me. I tell him thanks as Christian opens the door to allow me to enter first.

"Thank you, Mr. Grey", I say as we step inside and Taylor waits in the car.

"Welcome back, Mr. Grey", the maître d calls out.

"Hello, Philip. Table for two, please", he says and extends his hand for mine as Philip leads us upstairs.

"Are you a member here?", I ask out of curiosity.

"Are you still surprised?"

"I guess it comes with the territory", I smirk and Christian laughs in response.

We follow Philip to a table as Christian pulls out my chair for me to sit. He then asks Philip for the wine list before taking a seat himself.

"Have you ever been here before?", Christian asks when Philip returns with the list.

"Honestly, I hardly ever go out."

"Is that your thing, too?"

"You ask a lot of questions, Mr. Grey."

"You're one to talk, Miss Steele. I think that's why we're here."

"You complaining?"

"Not at all", he grins, causing me to shift in my seat. How the hell does he do that?

 **Two hours go** by and we're engaging in a very weird conversation.

"So, she called you out?", I ask when I take a bite of some chicken. _God, that's good._

"Pretty much, and all because I told on her to our parents."

"And you didn't speak for a year?"

"I guess her friends were a lot more important than her health."

"Wow, Mia sounds like a handful."

"She is but if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be where I am now."

"What do you mean?"

"A while ago, I got into some trouble with drinking and if it wasn't for Mia, I might still be taking them today."

"How did that come about?"

"Just going through some hard times. Mia's pretty outspoken, unfortunately, and she caught me having a drink and tried to get me to stop. Thanks to her, I've been sober for ten years."

"Wow. I guess you got pretty lucky."

"I guess I did but if I had known about my brother, I might've stayed at the foster home", he jokes as he takes a drink of wine.

"Is he as bad as Mia?"

"Worse. Whenever I got a good grade or he liked a girl at school, we'd fight for hours about it before our parents broke it off."

"How did they do that?"

"They basically asked us to write a letter to each other and slide it under the door of whoever we were fighting with. After we calmed down, we would go downstairs and everything would be fine."

"Just like that?"

"It's a little weird but hey, it works."

"Funny. My parents' method was just to yell it out and throw things at each other", I chuckle.

"They didn't get along?"

"Huh, you could say that. Ray, my stepfather, and my mom could never really see eye-to-eye when I was growing up and next thing I know, they're getting a divorce."

"Are you close?"

"Me and my dad are. My mom and I talk but, she's an incurable romantic so she spends most of her time with her current husband."

"How many times has she been married?"

"Four, counting my dad."

"What happened to your real father?"

"He ran off with someone else", I say quietly before taking a sip of my wine.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"Knowing me, your apology is accepted."

"You really don't think too highly of yourself, do you?"

"Not since the start of my career, no."

"Why not?"

"Christian, I'm a monster. I run stories without keeping others in mind and then get paid for it. You do the math."

"Do you enjoy it?" _Do I?_

"No, I don't. I've lost friends, my own family is ashamed of me", I shrug. "It's just not worth it."

"Then why do you do it?"

"It pays the bills and I really have no choice."

"Because of what happened to you?"

"You just never stop, do you?", I half-smile and he chuckles in response.

"Maybe I don't, but only if you promise to tell me what's going on someday." _Like another date?_

"You got a deal", I reply. _Shit, another date._

 **Taylor drops me** off at my apartment and Christian steps out with me to walk me to the door.

"Well, it's been a pleasure Miss Steele", Christian says when we're at the door.

"Of course it was but I think I might agree", I quip and roll my eyes as I do. _Okay, that wasn't as bad as I thought._

"Can I expect to see you tomorrow?"

"Is that a request, Mr. Grey?"

"Always, Miss Steele. I'll have Taylor pick you up then."

"Good. I'll see you then." He then takes my hand and gives a tender kiss on my knuckles before excusing himself and walking back to the car. _Did that just happen?_

I watch them drive off and for the first time in a while, I feel a little lightheaded. _That was...nice. Really nice._

 _So was Jack._

 _Fuck._

Sighing, I pull my keys out and head upstairs, really hoping I'm not in over my head.


End file.
